Fuel pump



Nov.17,1942. i EQHORTON ETAL 2,301,916

' FUEL PUMP Filed July 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l E. c. HoRToN ETAL. 2,301,916

Nov. 17, 1942.l

l FUEL PUMP Filed July 27, .1940 2 sheets-sheet 2 Erwm oxfon BY @Minis C. Hess Patented Nov. 17, 1942 FUEL PUMP Erwin C. Horton, Hamburg, and Willis C. liess, Buffalo, N. Y., assignors to Trico Products Corporation, Bullalo, N. Y.

Application July 21, 1940, semi No. 347,933

(o1. 1oz-5o) 3Clalms.

The present invention relates to a fuel pump and has particular relation to such a pump disposed within a Vfuel tank for lifting fuel therefrom.

According to the invention the means for actuating the pump may be disposed above the fuel level of the tank, being connected to the piston of the pump by a yoke extending around the side.

wall of the pump, this arrangement obviating the necessity for extending-a piston rod through the pump chamber.

The' motive force is 'applied to the piston through. the valve whichA admits fuel into the pump chamber, a construction which insures full opening and closing 'of the valve before thev intake and exhaust strokes, respectively, of the piston are commenced. I

'Ihese and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the typical embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is `a vertical sectional view through a` tank provided with the pump means;

Fig. 2 is a plan sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the pump means;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the piston employed in the pump means;

Fig. 5 is a 'fragmentary perspective View of the actuating unit of the pump means, showing the valve means therefor with a valve cover in disassembled relation; and,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vbottom plan view of certain parts of the actuating unit.

As shown in Fig. 1, the fuel tank may include an upper wall I I upon which casing I2 of a ,pump motor is mounted and a bottom wall I3 provided with a well I4 in which is'disposed pump vcylinder casing l5, the latter being connected to the motor casing I2 by rods i6. Y

The motor casing I2 consists of upper and lower sections I1 and I8 separated by a flexible diaphragm I9 which has reinforcing discs 2-I and 22 secured to the upper and lower faces thereof. Extending upwardly from disc 2| is a member 23 having an opening through which extends a leaf spring 24, the ends 25 and 26 of the latter being supported respectively in a recess in casing section I1 and in a recess in a bolt 21 which is adjustable, longitudinally of spring 24 for varying the degree of bow of the spring, by means of screw threaded element 23 locked in place by a similar screw threaded element 29. As shown in Fig. l, member 23 engages spring 24 near end 26 thereof, and near its opposite end,

425, lthe spring is similarly engaged by a member 3| which carries a valve member 32, being connected to the valve member by a pin '30. The valve is slidable, vertically, upon a valve seat 33 formed on a projection, 34, from casing section I1. When spring 24 is bowed downwardly, as in Fig. 1, so that valve 32 is in its lowermost position, the motor chamber above the diaphragm is placed in open communication with a suitable source of less-than-atmospheric pressure, such as the intake manifold of a vehicle engine, via a conduit (not shown), a nipple 35 opening into a valve port 36 that opens into valve seat 33, through a recessA 31 in valve member 32, and through a passage 38 in projection. into the motor chamber.

When the valve is raised to its uppermost position by the spring' 24 being bowed upwardly, the port 36 is closed-by the valve, the lower edge of the latter being so elevated as 'to allow air to vpass therebeneath into passage 38. A sheet metal cover 39, shown in perspective in Fig. 5, seats over the projection 34 to protect the valve means, the

cover having inturned flanges' 4I received in vertical recesses 42 in the projection.

Secured to the lower reinforcing disc 22 is a U-shaped plate 44 and therebeneath, a plate 45 having a slot 46 extending from the margin thereof adjacent the open side of plate 44. A rod 41 extends, substantially vertically, through a bearing opening in the lower casing section I8, the rod being connected to the diaphragm by having a head portion 48 received between disc 22 and plate `45 while the rod proper extends through slot 46, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

A collar 49 is secured upon the rod 41 and a coiled spring 5I is confined between the collar and the bottom of casing section I8, exerting a downward thrust on the rod and diaphragm I9. Carried by the lower end of rod 41 above pump casing I5 is a cross-head 52 in the form of a spider, the legs of which extend laterally beyond the side walls of pump casing. Below the pump casing is a similar cross-head 53, the ends of the legs of members 52 and 53 being connected by upright rods 54, l

Connected to the central portion of cross-head 53 by means of screw threaded members 55 is a piston rod 56. Upon the upper end of the latter is secured a yalve disc 51 which is clamped between a. head 58 on rod 56 and a member that is screw threaded thereto, the latter comprising a iiange portion 6I of substantially the same diameter as valve 51 and a'hub portion 62 of smaller diameter and serving to space 'valve 51 from the flange portion 6|. Openings E13 extend vertically through the member 6|, 62.

A piston 64 is arranged to move vertically in the cylinder chamber 65 within casing 5, the piston having a skirt portion 66 provided with suitable sealing grooves 61 and a web 68 received between ange 6| and valve 51, the web'having a. central opening passing the hub portion 62. Secured to the skirt 66 by a ring washer 69 is the peripheral portion of a web 60 composed of wire mesh, whose central portion is clamped between screw threaded member 58 and a sleeve 59 that is disposed upon rod 56 above fasteners 55.

Through the upper wall 1| of the cylinder casing I5 is a fuel outlet port 12 closed by a check valve 13 that is backed by a spring 14, the port 12 when the valvev 13 is open communicating through a conduit 15, 16 with an engine carburetor or other device to which fuel from the tank is to be pumped.

In operation, commencing with the parts in the position shown in Fig, 1, the partial vacuum in the motor chamber above the diaphragm will cause the latter to flex upwardly, lifting the rod 41 against the resistance of spring 5| until member 23 has so bowed the leaf spring 24 upwardly that it will snap to a bow substantially the reverse of that shown in Fig. 1, which will result in valve 32 closing the suction port 36 and admitting atmospheric air to the motor chamber. Thereupon the spring 5| will lower rod 41, depressing the diaphragm, until 'member 23 again reverses the bow of leaf spring'24 to the condition shown in Fig. 1.

The resulting vertical reciprocation of rod 41 will be transmitted to valve 51 and connected ange 6| through the cross-head and rod assembly 52, 53, 54, the latter constituting a yoke extending around the side walls of the pump casing whereby the motive force above the latter is applied beneath it. Upon each down stroke the valve 51 will first open and then will pull the piston downwardly, fuel entering chamber 65 past valve 51 and through opening 63. Upon each up stroke the valve 51 isflrst closed and then lifts the piston upwardly, forcing fuel from chamber 65 past check valve 13 into the fuel line 15, 16,

By providing the yoke means 52, 53,54 around the pump casing, the suction motor unit may be mounted above the fuel level in the tank while the pump casing may be mounted beneath the fuel level, and yet no packing means except the piston need be provided. By arrangement of the fuel pumpin the tank, the pressure on the fuel need not be decreased below 4atmospheric andV need for inlet passages for the fuel, aside from the inlet valve port, is eliminated.

'Ihe application of motive eifort to the piston through the valve 51 and associated flange 6| assures full opening of the valve before the fuel intake stroke of the piston and full closing of the valve before the exhaust stroke of the piston, further increasing the'efiiciency of the device.

The screen web 60 serves as a strainer and is aided in this function by flexing, caused by relative motion of the piston and rod 56 as the valve opens and closes, which tends to prevent in the cylinder having a fuel inlet port extendsolid matter caught by the strainer from clogging it.

In order to expedite assembly of the device, the pump casing is provided with depending ngers 11, preferably tapered, for guiding the piston into the cylinder chamber.

It will be understood that the device herein shown and described is merely illustrative of the inventive principles involved and that the latter may be otherwise embodied without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims. e

We claim:

l. In a fuel pump, a piston having a. fuel inlet opening therethrough, a valve adapted to seat against one face of the piston to close said opening, means' for limiting the movement of the valve away from said face of the piston, means acting upon the valve for reciprocating the piston, whereby the valve is open when the piston moves in one direction and closed when the piston moves in the opposite direction, and a web of mesh material having marginal portions secured to said piston and a central portion thereof secured to said valve, whereby the web will be flexed by opening and closing of the valve.

2. In combination with a fuel tank having an opening in the upper wall thereof, an actuator casing mounted on the tank in closing relation to said opening, said actuator casing havingvertically movable piston means therein, a substantially vertical cylinder carried by said actuator casing in depending relation thereto, said cylinder being disposed in the tank andhaving an open bottom below the normal minimum level of fuel in the tank, said cylinder having a closed upper portion provided with an outlet for fuel, a piston in the cylinder having a fuel inlet port extending therethrough, a part having limited vertical movement relative to the piston and including a valve which upon upward movement closes said inlet port and upon downward movement opens said inlet port, and means connecting said part to said piston means, said connecting means extending into the cylinder through the open bottom thereof.

3. In combination with a fuel tank, an actuator secured to said tank and having a casing with vertically movable piston means therein, a substantially vertical cylinder rigidly connected to said casing therebeneath, said cylinder being disposed in the tank and having an open bottom below the normal minimum level of fuel in the tank, and said cylinder having a closed upper portion provided with an outlet for fuel, a piston ing therethrough, a part having limited vertical movement relative to the piston and including a valve which upon'upward movement closes said inlet port and upon downward movement opens said inlet port, and means for operably connecting said piston to said piston means, said connecting means comprising a connectorbetween the piston means and said part, said connector entering the cylinder through the open bottom thereof.

ERWIN CL' HORTON.

WILLIS C. HESS. 

